Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
Of course I have tolerance...as long as you agree with me
Has anybody noticed that the tolerance movement is a little hypocritical lately? It seems as though you can't ever voice any of your opinions UNLESS you agree with that person. A lot of people have either gotten involved with ridiculous arguments or (if you are like me) have avoided voicing your opinions because you are afraid you'll make someone mad or offend someone.
This is absurd, in my opinion. I'm tired of walking on eggshells just because everyone cannot handle that someone actually disagrees with them about something. We live in a culture where topics that shouldn't even be sensitive are becoming too touchy to talk about. And those topics that are tough to discuss, no one knows how to approach their discussion because everyone gets too upset about it.
But what if there's a better way?
Maybe we can improve this culture of offense and move towards a place where everyone can simply agree to disagree. Instead of giving into the lie that we have to get offended, we can move on and not allow it to negatively impact the rest of our day (or week or life or whatever).
Instead of reacting negatively, why don't we agree to disagree and continue our relationship with that person as though there was no disagreement at all? Disagreements don't have to change the way we treat people. It doesn't have to determine who gets to be our friend or who we show the love of Christ to.
In the past year, there have been numerous people who believe completely different things than I do. People who don't hold the same beliefs as me on religion, abortion, homosexual marriage, presidential candidates, etc. At first I stayed away from them or stayed away from sensitive topics, but I am learning that it's okay to disagree. It's perfectly fine to hold your own opinions and beliefs, even if you are in the minority.
Tolerance is not agreeing with someone. It's disagreeing completely and still respecting and loving that person. It's not allowing yourself to caught up in the offense you may feel at someone else believing you're wrong. And overall, it's choosing LOVE over hate.
So next time you feel tempted to respond with anything less than kindness...remember, YOU can determine the way the discussion goes. YOU alone can turn hate into love.
This is absurd, in my opinion. I'm tired of walking on eggshells just because everyone cannot handle that someone actually disagrees with them about something. We live in a culture where topics that shouldn't even be sensitive are becoming too touchy to talk about. And those topics that are tough to discuss, no one knows how to approach their discussion because everyone gets too upset about it.
But what if there's a better way?
Maybe we can improve this culture of offense and move towards a place where everyone can simply agree to disagree. Instead of giving into the lie that we have to get offended, we can move on and not allow it to negatively impact the rest of our day (or week or life or whatever).
Instead of reacting negatively, why don't we agree to disagree and continue our relationship with that person as though there was no disagreement at all? Disagreements don't have to change the way we treat people. It doesn't have to determine who gets to be our friend or who we show the love of Christ to.
In the past year, there have been numerous people who believe completely different things than I do. People who don't hold the same beliefs as me on religion, abortion, homosexual marriage, presidential candidates, etc. At first I stayed away from them or stayed away from sensitive topics, but I am learning that it's okay to disagree. It's perfectly fine to hold your own opinions and beliefs, even if you are in the minority.
Tolerance is not agreeing with someone. It's disagreeing completely and still respecting and loving that person. It's not allowing yourself to caught up in the offense you may feel at someone else believing you're wrong. And overall, it's choosing LOVE over hate.
So next time you feel tempted to respond with anything less than kindness...remember, YOU can determine the way the discussion goes. YOU alone can turn hate into love.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Purity:It's a heart thing
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." --Psalm 51:10
I used to think that purity was based on our actions and choices. To be pure, one needs to make sure they are dressed appropriately, abstain from doing things that are sinful and unrighteous, and make it obvious that they loved God with their whole heart (or at least act like they do).
But I'm not so sure anymore.
No, I don't think doing any of these things are wrong. I believe it is important to dress in a manner that's glorifying to God, abstain from sinful actions, and share our love for God with others. But I no longer believe that's the most important thing.
"...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." --1 Samuel 16:7
When God looks at us and judges our purity, He's not basing it on what everyone else can see. To Him, our purity is found in the heart. Yeah, our actions and decisions reflect our purity, but it's not enough to just go through the motions of being pure. If our heart is in the wrong place, it doesn't matter how many good works we've done...God looks at our impure heart.
For instance, what if you acted like the poster child for sexual purity (I apologize if some readers find this topic a little sensitive). You've never had sex, maybe never even kissed a boy, and everyone knows it. You may preach to other young people about abstaining from sex until marriage, like you're doing. But when you are by yourself, you regularly fantasize about things that completely contradict everything you say you believe in. Your actions are in the right place, but your heart is somewhere completely different.
Which do you think God will look at? Of course He notices your outward sexual purity, but He also notices the things stored in your heart.
So now, I don't think of purity as something completely based in my actions. I want to make sure that my heart is in the right place, that every thought/attitude/mentality is glorifying to Jesus. It's not enough that my actions please Him, I want to please Him in everything.
I used to think that purity was based on our actions and choices. To be pure, one needs to make sure they are dressed appropriately, abstain from doing things that are sinful and unrighteous, and make it obvious that they loved God with their whole heart (or at least act like they do).
But I'm not so sure anymore.
No, I don't think doing any of these things are wrong. I believe it is important to dress in a manner that's glorifying to God, abstain from sinful actions, and share our love for God with others. But I no longer believe that's the most important thing.
"...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." --1 Samuel 16:7
When God looks at us and judges our purity, He's not basing it on what everyone else can see. To Him, our purity is found in the heart. Yeah, our actions and decisions reflect our purity, but it's not enough to just go through the motions of being pure. If our heart is in the wrong place, it doesn't matter how many good works we've done...God looks at our impure heart.
For instance, what if you acted like the poster child for sexual purity (I apologize if some readers find this topic a little sensitive). You've never had sex, maybe never even kissed a boy, and everyone knows it. You may preach to other young people about abstaining from sex until marriage, like you're doing. But when you are by yourself, you regularly fantasize about things that completely contradict everything you say you believe in. Your actions are in the right place, but your heart is somewhere completely different.
Which do you think God will look at? Of course He notices your outward sexual purity, but He also notices the things stored in your heart.
So now, I don't think of purity as something completely based in my actions. I want to make sure that my heart is in the right place, that every thought/attitude/mentality is glorifying to Jesus. It's not enough that my actions please Him, I want to please Him in everything.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Thursday, August 11, 2016
If all things work together for my good, then why is this happening?
I saw a memory on Facebook yesterday from a year ago. It had some encouraging words, along with Romans 8:28 on it.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
But I didn't fully understand the meaning of those words until the year that followed that post. What I didn't realize was, the heartbreak I thought I was facing then would be minimal compared to what was coming. In the few months that followed, I was dealing with a betrayal that made no sense to me and a heart that was shattered into a million pieces.
At first I told myself to trust God, that everything would be okay in the end. But life kept coming at me and every time I managed to get back up, it seemed as though life took a baseball bat and knocked me back down again. Eventually, I lost faith that God had a plan for my life at all.
How on earth could this situation work out for my good?
I started doing my own thing, not even caring that maybe, just maybe, there was something better out there for me. Depression and anxiety kicked in, and finally I found myself at the bottom of a pit I didn't know how to get out of.
This is where He found me.
It was in the middle of the chaos that I finally came back to God. I gave up trying to figure out what the point of this heartbreak was and it put in the hands of Jesus. Even though it still hurt, I decided to hold on tight and trust that He would see me through to the other side.
My confidence may have taken a major hit, but I'm more confident than I've ever been in my life. I'm more willing to take chances and put myself out there. I don't try to hide inside a shell anymore.
I LOVE people. Yes, I admit that we all have our problems and sometimes people are going to be just plain mean, but that will never stop me from loving them the way I'm supposed to. I love meeting new people, and I'm more open to friendships with people of different backgrounds, beliefs, etc.
When there's someone hurting, I try to help. I want to take an interest in people and listen if they're hurting. I've come to realize that life is not all about me (although I still struggle with that sometimes).
Above all, I know with a certainty that God ALWAYS works everything out for our good. I'm glad that I went through all the heartache and the pain. Because of that, I'm stronger and closer to God than ever.
So, if you're in a similar situation, and you don't know how God could ever work it out in your favor, just put it in His hands. Stop worrying about it, and allow Him to carry you through the pain. Eventually, you will see that glorious light at the end, and the pieces of your heartaches will come together to form a beautiful masterpiece. <3
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
But I didn't fully understand the meaning of those words until the year that followed that post. What I didn't realize was, the heartbreak I thought I was facing then would be minimal compared to what was coming. In the few months that followed, I was dealing with a betrayal that made no sense to me and a heart that was shattered into a million pieces.
At first I told myself to trust God, that everything would be okay in the end. But life kept coming at me and every time I managed to get back up, it seemed as though life took a baseball bat and knocked me back down again. Eventually, I lost faith that God had a plan for my life at all.
How on earth could this situation work out for my good?
I started doing my own thing, not even caring that maybe, just maybe, there was something better out there for me. Depression and anxiety kicked in, and finally I found myself at the bottom of a pit I didn't know how to get out of.
This is where He found me.
It was in the middle of the chaos that I finally came back to God. I gave up trying to figure out what the point of this heartbreak was and it put in the hands of Jesus. Even though it still hurt, I decided to hold on tight and trust that He would see me through to the other side.
My confidence may have taken a major hit, but I'm more confident than I've ever been in my life. I'm more willing to take chances and put myself out there. I don't try to hide inside a shell anymore.
I LOVE people. Yes, I admit that we all have our problems and sometimes people are going to be just plain mean, but that will never stop me from loving them the way I'm supposed to. I love meeting new people, and I'm more open to friendships with people of different backgrounds, beliefs, etc.
When there's someone hurting, I try to help. I want to take an interest in people and listen if they're hurting. I've come to realize that life is not all about me (although I still struggle with that sometimes).
Above all, I know with a certainty that God ALWAYS works everything out for our good. I'm glad that I went through all the heartache and the pain. Because of that, I'm stronger and closer to God than ever.
So, if you're in a similar situation, and you don't know how God could ever work it out in your favor, just put it in His hands. Stop worrying about it, and allow Him to carry you through the pain. Eventually, you will see that glorious light at the end, and the pieces of your heartaches will come together to form a beautiful masterpiece. <3
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